Bottle capping machine control mechanism



Feb. 2, 1954 H. w. MARTIN BOTTLE CAPPING MACHINE CONTROL MECHANISM 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 12. 1951 Gttorneg Feb. 2, 1954 Filed Dec. 12, 195] H. W. MARTIN BOTTLE CAPPING MACHINE CONTROL MECHANISM 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 2 4 j /7. l-4% 25 {1 z 1'\ 5 5/452; 343/ y 43 4/ 55v/ I 66 I 35 ,u I /6 I I II attorney Feb; 2, 1954 H. w. MARTIN $668,203

BOTTLE CAPPING MACHINE CONTROL MECHANISM Filed Dec. 12, 1951 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 BB W (Zttorneg Patented Feb. 2, 1954 UNITED STATES ATENT OFFICE BOTTLE CAPPING MACHINE CONTROL MECHANISM Harold W. Martin, Malverne, N. Y., assignor to American Seal-Kap Corporation of Delaware, Wilmington, Del., a corporation of Delaware Application October 12, 1951, Serial No. 250,987

3 Claims. (Cl. ZOO-61.41)

This invention relates to a bottle-actuated control mechanism which is capable of being successively actuated at a rapid rate for extended periods of time. It is especially designed and adapted for use with a machine for applying hood caps to milk bottles of the same general type as the capping machine shown in the patent to Goodwin et al. No. 2,325,163.

In machines of this type the hood caps are contained in a magazine from which they are successively withdrawn and the milk bottles are fed in a continuous stream through a bottle filling and capping machine which fills and caps from 150 to 200 bottles per minute. The filled bottles as they approach the capping mechanism successively actuate a switch as they are conveyed past it. Each time the switch is actuated it effects the actuation of mechanism which withdraws a cap from the magazine, which cap is eventually placed on the bottle which actuated the switch and effected the release of that particular cap.

My improved mechanism includes a mercury switch of standard construction which is adapted to be quickly closed, to momentarily dwell in closed position, and then to be quickly opened. It comprises a cup-shaped casing which is closed by a removable cover. A block having a vertical bore therein and a transverse horizontal slot intersecting the vertical bore is rigidly secured to the under side of the cover within the casing. An oscillating arm which is disposed in and extends out from the horizontal slot is pinned to a shaft which is rotatably mounted in the vertical bore and extends out above the cover. A hub is keyed on and bolted to the outer end of the shaft and has secured thereto a lever which is adapted to be successively engaged and actuated by successive bottles as they are conveyed past the mechanism. The actuation of the lever rotates the shaft through 20 to 30 in one direction. After each actuation the shaft and lever are returned to their original positions by a helical spring disposed about the lower end of the shaft under the block. A roller, which is mounted on the outer end of the oscillating arm, is adapted to engage the top of a rocker arm which is rotatably mounted on a stud which is carried by and extends out from the block below the oscillating arm. The rocker arm is symmetrical about a medial transverse plane and the top thereof comprises two fiat intersecting surfaces which are disposed at an obtuse angle of approximately 150 to each other. The rocker arm is yieldingly biased in one direction by a coiled spring which has one end thereof secured to one end of the rocker arm and the other end thereof secured to an eye carried by the cover. A mercury switch is removably secured to the bottom of the rocker arm. When the shaft and oscillating arm pinned thereto are in their normal at rest position, the rocker arm and mercury switch carried thereby are yieldingly held in such position by the coiled spring that the switch is open. As the shaft is turned by a bottle engaging the actuating lever the oscillating arm through the roller mounted on the free end thereof depresses one end of the rocker arm against the resistance of the coiled spring which changes the angular position of the mercury switch so that the mercury in the switch rolls from one end thereof to the opposite end thereof and closes the switch. In normal at rest position the mercury switch is inclined in one direction to the horizontal; and when the rocker arm is fully depressed the mercury switch is inclined in the opposite direction to the horizontal. The mercury switch closes as it passes the horizontal and remains closed during the time it moves on further past the horizontal and is returned to the horizontal. This provides a quick closing of the switch, a dwell in closed position and then a quick opening of the switch.

The principal object of the invention is to provide an improved mechanism of simple construction which is capable of being successively actuated at a rapid rate during extended periods of time.

Another object of the invention is to provide a mechanism of this character which is so constructed that when actuated it will quickly close a switch, then momentarily hold the switch in closed position and then quickly open the switch.

Other and more limited objects of the invention will be apparent from the following specification and the accompanyin drawings forming a part thereof wherein:

Fig. 1 is a top plan View of a bottle filling and capping machine embodying the present inven tion;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged plan view of the control mechanism showing how successive bottles actuate the mechanism as they are conveyed past the mechanism;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged vertical section taken on the line 33 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a horizontal section taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a transverse vertical section taken on the line 5--5 of Fig. 3 showing the various parts of the mechanism in their normal at rest position; and

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 5 showing the various parts of the mechanism at the limit of their movement away from normal at rest position.

Referring to the drawings by reference characters the numeral i indicates a bottle-fi1ling and capping machine of standard construction, such as shown in the aforesaid Patent No. 2,325,163 to Goodwin et al., which comprises a bottle filling mechanism 2, a cap applying station 3 and a rotating bank of capping heads 4. Empty bottles are fed into the filling mechanism'2 from .a conveyor 5 by a star wheel 6. The bottles are continuously conveyed around through the filling mechanism on stools J and are filled during their travel through the filling mechanism. After being filled the bottles are transferred by a star wheel 8 past the cap applying station 3 to the capping heads l. As the bottles pass the cap applying station 3 caps are loosely placed over the mouths of the bottles. The capping heads then firmly clamp the caps in place over the mouths of the bottles and around the necks thereof. From the capping heads l the'bottles are redelivered to the conveyor 5 by a star wheel 9. Caps are successively withdrawn from a magazine H) by anintermittently operative picker mechanism H which deposits'the caps in a chute i2 whichdelivers the caps to the capping station 3. As filled bottles approach the capping station they pass a control mechanism i5 which each bottle actuates in passing. Each actuation of the mechanism Iii effects one operation of the picker mechanism Ii. The mechanism I5 is so positioned with respect to the capping station 3 that each bottle eif'ects the release of its own cap.

The mechanism I5 comprises a cup-shaped housing It which is closed by a cover plate I! which'is removably secured in place by bolts iii. A body 19 is rigidly secured to the underside of the cover plate ll within the housing it by screws 28. The body 19 has a vertical bore 21 extending therethrough which is intersected by'a transverse horizontal slot 22. A'shaft which is rotatably mounted in nylon bushing 2- in the bore 2|, extends out from the housing :5 through the cover'plate I! and has a hub 25 removably'secured to the upper end thereof by a key 26 and anut 2?. A collar 28 is securedto'thelower end of the shaft 23 below the body is by a set screw 29. A helical spring 39 disposed about the collar 28 yieldingly biases the shaft 23 in one direction.

An arm 35 is formed integrally with and er.- tends outwardly from a hub 32 which isdisposed in the slot 22 and is pinned to the shaft 23 by a in 33. A nylon roller 34 is rotatably mounted on the reduced outer end 35 of 'the arm 3 The'inner end of the hubs: has aflat vertical surface 36, which is perpendicular to the axis of the arm 3 l and a flat vertical surface ill which'is disposed at an angle of approximately 45 to the surface 36. When the various parts of the mechanism '15 are in their normal at rest position the surface 35 of the hub 32 engages the vertical'wall 38 of the slot 22 and thus limits the turning of the shaft 23 by the spring 36. The angularly disposed surface 31' permits the shaft 23 to be turned in the opposite direction against the action of the spring 30, as will be explained hereinafter.

A rocker arm 19 is rotatably mounted on a stud M which is secured to and extends outwardly from the body I9 below the slot 22. The rocker arm 4B is symmetrical'about a transverse medial plane and the top thereof comprises two flat intersecting surfaces '42 and 43 which are disposed at an angle of approximately to each other. The rocker arm M3 is mounted below the arm 32 in position for the roller 35 to roll over one of the surfaces 42 or 43 when the shaft 23 is turned from its normal at rest position. A spring one end of which is secured to one end of the rocker arm 49 as indicated at and the other end of which is secured to an eye l8 carried by the under side of the cover plate ll, yieldingly holds the surface 43 of the rocker arm 16 in contact with the roller 3%.

A mercury switch 3'! is reinovably mounted in a pair of spring clips 48 which are secured to the under side of the rocker arm ct. The switch 4? is of standard construction, so consequently it is not described in detail herein. There are many mercury switches of different manufacture available any one of which may be used herein. The switch ll shown herein is sold under the trade name Durakocl. The terminals t3 and #39 of the switch ii are connected Toy lead wires 55] and 52 to binding posts 52. and. carried by an insulating plate 5 which is secured. to bosses 55 extending inwardly from the side walls of the casing It. The binding posts 52 and 53 are also connected by the lead wires and 5! to control a motor (not shown) which operates the picker mechanism ii.

The hub :25 which is secured to the upper end of the shaft 23 carries an actuating lever 58 which has a roller es rotatably mounted on the upturned free end iii! thereof. The casing 55 is suitably secured to the filling mechanism 2 with the free end of the actuating lever 55 disposed in the path of the bottles being carried along by the stools i. As each bottle passes the mechanism it engages and actuates the lever lit which turns the shaft 23 through from 26 to 30 against the resistance of the spring 313. The turning of the shaft 23 swings the arm pinned thereto which rolls the roller 3t over the surface if; of the rocker arm [i i and shifts the rocker arm 58 and switch t; carried thereby from the position shown in Fig. 5 to the pcsiticnshown in fig. 6, thus closing the switch i'l. After a bottle has passed the lever the spring returns the shaft 23,'lever 53 and roller 34 back. to their original positions, and the spring 33} returns the rocker arm it and the switch ii back to their original at rest positions as shown in Fig. 5, in which position the switch ll is open. The movement of the roller 34 by the arm 3! and shaft from the position shown in Fig. 5 to the position shown in full lines in Fig. 6 quickly closes the switch all. The switch it is then held closed'wl'iile the roller 36 travels fromthe full line'position in Fig. 6 to the dotted line position therein back slightly past the full line position, after which the switch quickly opens. From this it will be seen that the switch 4'! is first quickly closed, then momentarily held closet, and then quickly opened. Each closing of the switch It! causes one operation of the picker mechanism l i, so that every time a bottle passes the mechanism iii a cap is withdrawn from the magazine H and deposited. in the chute H2. The holding of the switch i? closed during the greater portion of the time that the roller is being moved back and forth over the surface Q3 of the rocker arm t6 by the arm (it affords the necessary time for the picker mechanism H to withdraw a cap from the magazine is and deposit it in the chute E2. The mechanism i5 is so positioned with respect to the cap applying station 3 that it takes a bottle the same length of time to travel from the mechanism it to the cap applying station 3 as it takes for a cap to be withdrawn from the magazine H and travel down the chute l2 to the cap applying station 3. A cap and the bottle which effects its withdrawal from the magazine II will meet at the cap applying station, from which it will be seen that each bottle effects the release of its own cap. If an empty stool i passes the mechanism the mechanism will not be actuated and consequently no cap will be released.

From the foregoing it will be apparent to those skilled in this art that I have provided a very simple and efiicient mechanism for accomplishing the objects of the invention.

It is to be understood that I am not limited to the specific construction shown and described herein as various modifications may be made thereto within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A. bottle actuated control mechanism a bottle capping machine, comprising a support, a vertical shaft rotatably mounted in said supoprt, a bottle actuated lever secured to said shaft and operative when actuated to turn said shaft, means restoring said shaft to its original pisition when said lever is released, an arm rigidly secured to said shaft to oscillate therewith and extending outwardly therefrom, a cam actuator mounted on the free end of said arm, a rocker arm mounted to rock about a horizontal axis and having a cam surface on which said cam actuator rides, spring means holding said cam sur face against said cam actuator, a mercury switch mounted on said rocker arm and adapted to be opened or closed by the rocking of said rocker arm, said cam surface being shaped to hold said rocker arm in position to open said switch when said lever is in released position and being movable by said cam follower to tilt said rocker arm to switch closing position in response to actuation of said lever.

2. A bottle actuated control mechanism for a bottle capping machine, comprising a support, a vertical shaft rotatably mounted in said support, a bottle actuated lever secured to said shaft and operative when actuated to turn said shaft, means restoring said shaft to its original position when said lever is released, an arm rigidly secured to said shaft to oscillate therewith and extending outwardly therefrom, a cam actuator mounted on the free end of said arm, a rocker arm mounted to rock about a horizontal axis and having a cam surface on which said cam actuator rides, spring means holding said cam surface against said cam actuator, a mercury switch mounted on said rocker arm and adapted to be opened or closed by the rocking of said rocker arm, said cam surface engaging said cam actuator to hold said rocker arm in position to open said switch when said lever is in released position and to tilt said rocker arm quickly to switch closing position in response to actuation of said lever, and having an area engaging said cam actuator to hold said rocker arm in said last positions as the cam actuator rides thereover due to actuation of said lever.

B. A bottle actuated control mechanism for a bottle capping machine, comprising a support, a vertical shaft rotatably mounted in said support, a bottle actuated lever secured to said shaft and operative when actuated to turn said shaft, means restoring said shaft to its original position when said lever is released, an arm rigidly secured to said shaft to oscillate therewith and extending outwardly therefrom, a cam actuator mounted on the free end of said arm, a rocker arm mounted to rock about a horizontal axis, said rocker arm being symmetrical about the plane of said axis and having a pair of flat surfaces meeting in said plane, a mercury switch mounted on said rocker arm and adapted to be opened or closed by the rocking of said rocker arm, said cam actuator engaging said cam surfaces in said plane to hold said rocker arm in position to open said switch when said lever is in released position and riding over said surfaces to tilt said rocker arm quickly to switch closing position in response to actuation of said lever.

HAROLD W. MARTIN.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,080,707 Gray May 18, 1937 2,082,048 Everett June 1, 1937 2,325,164 Goodwin July 27, 1943 

